


Tuesday Afternoon

by VampirePam



Series: Flash Ficathon [31]
Category: Almost Human
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Loyalty, M/M, On the Run, Partners to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 22:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4722308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePam/pseuds/VampirePam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the MXs initiate a hostile takeover of the government, Dorian and John must go on the run together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tuesday Afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Prompt: Robot Uprising

_Three_   _o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon_.  _A nice enough day for Los Angeles, not too muggy_.

Sitting in his patrol car, cup of could-be-worse take-out coffee in hand, John Kennex had been content. Not happy - that was dangerous for his particular constitution - but comfortable. A man who understood his place in the world. That had lasted all of ten minutes.

It was the coffee that tipped him off. Dorian didn't drink it - didn't need to, didn't enjoy the taste - but nonetheless, there it was, an innocuous Starbucks cup clutched in his fingers

Once John had noticed the first incongruity, the others leapt out: the rushed amble of Dorian's gait; the tightness in his grip on the cup he shouldn't have been holding; his mouth stretching into a carefully neutral expression.

So when his partner swung into the passenger seat and commanded him to, "Drive," he didn't question it - didn't even throw out a sarcastic, "Nice to see you too, Dorian," before swinging out of the parking space.

John considered firing up the roof, all the better to get them away from whatever had put that look on Dorian's face, but something about the coffee had him holding back.

When he'd driven a few blocks toward nowhere in particular -  _away_ was the only brief he had to work with - he succumbed to curiosity. "You planning on telling me what's going on or am I just driving in a straight line until we hit Canada?"

Though he kept his eyes trained on the road, John could  _feel_ Dorian's boring into the side of his head. He was silent for another block before, "Do you trust me, John?"

"I don't trust anybody." It was a reflex, borne out of years of lone wolf tactics. He didn't think about it until the next stop sign, when he caught a glimpse of Dorian. His face was impassive, his gaze fixed - waiting. Something was clearly riding on his answer; John wished he knew what the hell it was.

"Look, you're my partner," he reneged after a minute. "I...fuck it, I wouldn't be out here if I didn't, would I?"

"Is that a yes?" Dorian's voice was always calm, quiet, but now it vibrated with intensity. "I need you to be sure, John."

"Yes, okay?" John practically yelled it - unfair, but it was hardly a fair question to spring on a guy in an unspoken car chase with an invisible foe. "I, John Kennex, trust  _you_ , Dorian. Margin of error, zero percent. Now will you tell me what the  _fuck_ is going on?"

In lieu of a response, Dorian reached into John's pants pocket - causing a few seconds of surprised panic - and extracted his phone. Within a few seconds, he had removed the SIM card...and dropped it into his coffee.

John had barely gotten out a, "What the hell -" when Dorian ripped the GPS from the dash of the car and repeated the process.

Then he dropped the hammer, and the fate of his phone was the furthest thing from John's mind. "The MXes have initiated a hostile takeover. Government buildings, media outlets, businesses, schools, the station, everything."

His heart plummeted into his stomach. Had there been anyone to tell, the John of a few months ago might have gloated about being right. But he didn't feel right, didn't feel vindication - only a deep, dark dread of foreboding.

Dorian allowed him a few minutes to process, before inquiring "You must be wondering which side I'm on."

"No." The swift vehemence of his answer surprised both of them. "That's about the only thing I'm  _not_  wondering. First and foremost - what the hell do we do now?"

Dorian sighed, a strangely even exhalation of unneeded breath. "I have no fucking idea."


End file.
